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SEAHAWKS 43 d. BRONCOS 8
Super Bowl XLVIII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos and National Football Conference (NFC) champion Seattle Seahawks to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 2013 season. It is scheduled to be held on February 2, 2014, at MetLife Stadium at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with kickoff scheduled for 6:25pm EST (UTC−05:00).[5]
This was the first Super Bowl to be played outdoors in a cold weather city,[6] the first to be played outdoors on artificial turf (in this case FieldTurf) since Super Bowl X at the Miami Orange Bowl, and the first in which two U.S. states (New York and New Jersey) will share hosting duties.[7] It is also the first time since Super Bowl XLIV, and just the second time in the past twenty seasons that the number 1 seeds from each conference will meet to decide the championship.[8] The game will feature the league's top offense (Denver) vs. the top defense (Seattle), the first time this has occurred since Super Bowl XXXVII.[9] It will also feature two former division rivals (Seattle played in the AFC West division from 1977 to 2001), which last occurred in Super Bowl XLIII.
The Seattle Seahawks won Super Bowl XLVIII, winning the game with a score of 43 against the Denver Broncos' 8.
Nicknames
Super Bowl XLVIII has earned a few nicknames, with the "Weed Bowl",[25] "Bong Bowl",[26] and "Marijuana Bowl"[27] being among the most prominent, from users of social networking websites and various news outlets[26] as the home states of the Seahawks and Broncos (Washington and Colorado, respectively) were the first two states to legalize marijuana for recreational use, during the fall 2012 elections.[28] Many cannabis users rooted for this match-up, after Colorado started regulating cannabis sales less than three weeks before the conference championship games.[27]
Teams
Seattle Seahawks
Main article: 2013 Seattle Seahawks season
Seattle finished the season 13–3, winning the NFC West division and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The team scored 417 points during the season, while giving up just 231.[29]
The offense was led by second year quarterback Russell Wilson, a third round draft pick who had immediately picked up the starting role, leading the team to a playoff win in his rookie season. He finished his second completing 63.1 percent of his passes for 3,357 yards and 26 touchdowns, with only 9 interceptions, while also rushing for 539 yards and another score. His 101.2 passer rating ranked him 7th in the NFL, and made him the first quarterback in history with a triple digit passer rate in his first two seasons. His top target was Pro Bowl receiver Golden Tate, who caught 64 passes for 898 yards and 5 touchdowns. Tate was also a major asset on special teams, returning 51 punts for 585 yards (2nd in the NFL). Other key targets included Doug Baldwin (50 receptions, 775 yards, 5 touchdowns) and tight end Zach Miller (33 receptions, 387 yards, 5 touchdowns). Pro Bowl running back Marshawn Lynch was the team's leading rusher with 1,257 yards and 12 touchdowns. He was also a reliable receiver, hauling in 36 passes for 316 yards and two more scores. The Seahawks' offensive line was led by Pro Bowl center Max Unger. Kicker Steven Hauschka ranked 4th in the NFL in scoring (143 points) and second in field goal percentage (94.3%, 33/35).[30]
Seattle had the NFL's top defense, leading the NFL in fewest yards allowed per game (273.6), fewest points allowed (231), and most takeaways (39). Seattle's defensive line featured defensive ends Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett, both of whom recorded 8 sacks. Avril also forced 5 fumbles, while Bennett recovered three, returning them for 39 yards and a touchdown. Defensive tackle Clinton McDonald also made a big impact with 5.5 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, and an interception. Linebacker Bobby Wagner led the team in combined tackles (120), while also racking up 5 sacks and two interceptions. But the best aspect of the defense was their secondary—collectively known as the Legion of Boom—which sent three of their four starters to the Pro Bowl: cornerback Richard Sherman, who led the NFL in interceptions (8, with 125 return yards), along with free safety Earl Thomas (5 interceptions, 105 tackles, 2 forced fumbles) and strong safety Kam Chancellor (99 tackles, 3 interceptions, 78 return yards).[31]
Denver Broncos
Main article: 2013 Denver Broncos season
Denver finished the season 13–3 for the second straight year, winning the AFC West division and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Broncos had the best offense in the NFL, leading the league in points scored (606, the highest total in NFL history) and yards gained (7,313).[32] The offense was so explosive that they scored points on their opening possession at least eight straight games leading into the playoffs and a ninth time against the San Diego Chargers during the Divisional Playoffs game. During the AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots, they broke that streak, only to score on the opening possession of the second half.[33]
Peyton Manning signed with Denver for the 2012 season, leading the team to a 13-3 record. However, the year ended in disappointment, with the team losing in the divisional round of the playoffs. Now in his second year as the team's starter, Manning posted one of the best seasons of any quarterback in NFL history, leading the league in completions, attempts, yards, and touchdown passes. His 5,477 passing yards and 55 touchdown completions both set new NFL records. His 450 completions were the second highest total in NFL history, and his 115.1 passer rating ranked second in the league. Denver's leading pass-catcher was Pro Bowl receiver Demaryius Thomas, who caught 92 passes for 1,430 yards and 14 touchdowns. But Manning had plenty of other reliable options, including Eric Decker (97 receptions, 1,288 yards, 11 touchdowns), Wes Welker (73 receptions, 778 yards, 10 touchdowns), and Pro Bowl tight end Julius Thomas (65 receptions, 788 yards, 12 touchdowns). Overall, they made Denver the first team in NFL history ever to have four players with at least 10 touchdown receptions in a season. Running back Knowshon Moreno was the team's leading rusher with 1,038 yards and 10 touchdowns, while also catching 60 passes for 548 yards and another 3 scores. Rookie running back Montee Ball was also a big contributor with 554 rushing yards, 4 touchdowns, and 20 receptions. The team's offensive line featured Pro Bowl guard Louis Vasquez. On special teams, Pro Bowl kicker Matt Prater ranked second in the NFL in scoring (150 points) and first in field goal percentage (96.2%, 25/26). His only miss of the year was from 52 yards, and he set a new NFL record for the longest field goal ever made (64 yards).[34]
Defensive end Shaun Phillips anchored the Broncos' line with 10 sacks, while linebacker Danny Trevathan racked up 129 combined tackles, three forced fumbles, and three interceptions. Linebacker Malik Jackson was also a key component of the defense with 42 tackles and 6 sacks, helping compensate for the loss of Von Miller, who had 5 sacks in 9 games before suffering a season-ending injury. Cornerbacks Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Chris Harris led the secondary with 3 interceptions each.[citation needed]
Game summary
On Denver's first play, center Manny Ramirez snapped the ball out of shotgun formation while Peyton Manning was in the process of calling an audible, resulting in a fumble that went into the end zone. Running back Knowshon Moreno recovered the ball to prevent a Seattle touchdown, but he was downed for a safety to give the Seahawks a 2–0 lead. [106] Seattle's score just 12 seconds into the game was the quickest to start a game in Super Bowl history.[107] Following the free kick, receiver Percy Harvin gained 30 yards on an end around run to set up Steven Hauschka's 31-yard field goal, making the score 5–0. Denver was forced to a three-and-out on their next drive, and after the Denver punt, Russell Wilson completed a 37-yard pass to Doug Baldwin, leading to another Haushchka field goal, this one from 33 yards, that increased the lead to 8–0. On the third play of Denver's ensuing possession, Manning was intercepted by Kam Chancellor, giving Seattle a first down on the Denver 37. Aided by a 15-yard run from Harvin on the first play, Seattle quickly got the ball into the red zone. The Broncos defense eventually managed to force an incomplete pass on third down, but defensive back Tony Carter was flagged for pass interference in the end zone, giving Seattle a first down at the one. One play later, Marshawn Lynch crashed into the end zone, hitting the line so effectively that he ended the play on his feet, scoring a 1-yard touchdown run that made the score 15–0 three minutes into the second quarter.[108]
At this point, the Broncos offense finally managed to get moving, picking up a first down for the first time in the game at 10:37 and moving the ball to the Seattle 35. But on third and 13, Manning was hit as he tried to throw a pass to Moreno, causing a high short floater that was intercepted by linebacker Malcolm Smith and returned 69 yards for a touchdown. Following a Seattle punt, Denver mounted their best drive of the game. Aided by Demaryius Thomas's 19-yard reception on 3rd down and 5, Denver managed to get the ball all the way to the Seahawks 19-yard line. With just over a minute left in the half, Denver faced 4th down and 2. Rather than kick a field goal, they tried to pick up a first down, but Manning's pass was incomplete and the score would remain 22–0 at the end of the half. The 22-point deficit was the largest faced to by the Broncos all season.[109]
In order to avoid a big kickoff return, Matt Prater kicked the second half kickoff short, hitting the ground at the Seattle 12-yard line. But it did not stop Harvin from picking the ball out of the air and taking off for an 87-yard touchdown return that increased Seattle's lead to 29–0. The touchdown took place 12 seconds into the second half, exactly the same amount of time that they took to score the safety in the first half. After an exchange of punts, Eric Decker gave Denver good field position with a 9-yard return to the Denver 45. Two plays later, Manning completed a 23-yard pass to Thomas, but cornerback Byron Maxwell knocked the ball out of his hands and Malcolm Smith recovered it, returning the ball seven yards. An unnecessary roughness penalty against Denver added 15 more yards onto the end of the play, giving Seattle the ball at the Denver 42-yard line. Then Russell Wilson hit tight end Luke Willson for a 12-yard completion on 3rd and 7 and later completing a 19-yard pass to Ricardo Lockette. On the next play, he threw a short pass to Jermaine Kearse, who broke four tackles as he took off for a 23-yard touchdown reception.[110]
Denver finally managed to respond on their next drive, advancing the ball 80 yards as Manning completed six consecutive passes, including a 22-yard completion to Wes Welker, and finished the drive with a 14-yard touchdown toss to Thomas on the last play of the third quarter. Then Welker caught a pass for a successful 2-point conversion, cutting the score to 36–8. However, any momentum Denver might have gained was quickly snuffed out as Seattle tight end Zach Miller recovered Prater's onside kick attempt on his own 48-yard line. He also caught a 10-yard reception as the Seahawks subsequently drove 52 yards, featuring a 24-yard reception by Kearse, and scored on Wilson's 10-yard touchdown pass to Baldwin, increasing their lead to 43–8. There were more than 11 minutes left in the game, but this would be the final score, as Denver's last three drives would result in a turnover on downs, a Manning fumble that was forced and recovered by Seattle defensive end Chris Clemons (the only sack of the game for either team), and time expiring in the game.[111]
Wilson finished the game 18/25 for 206 yards and two touchdowns. Baldwin was his top receiver with five catches for 66 yards and a score, while Kearse added four catches for 65 and a touchdown. In addition to his 87-yard kickoff return touchdown, Harvin was Seattle's leading rusher with 45 yards, even though he only carried the ball twice. Chancellor had nine tackles and an interception. Manning completed 34/49 passes for 280 yards and a touchdown, with two interceptions. His top target was Thomas, who caught 13 passes for 118 yards and a touchdown. Welker added eight receptions for 84 yards. Linebacker Danny Trevathan had 12 tackles. Moreno was Denver's leading rusher, but with just 17 yards. Overall, Denver's record setting offense gained only 306 yards, with just 27 yards on the ground.[112]
The Seahawks' Smith was named the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player, only the ninth defensive player to win the award.[107] Denver fell to 2–5 in Super Bowls, while five-time league MVP Manning dropped to 11–12 in the playoffs, and 1–2 in the Super Bowl.[107] Manning's 34 completions and Thomas' 13 receptions were both Super Bowl records.[113][114]
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